The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-23
may prove better one than that of my


need not be told why it was hard for
her to give her young loves dream to
the cruel chances of the sea; of him it
must be said that, as love came late, it
came strong as well.
"Don't go, jack" she pleaded, amid
her sobs. =" know it's selfish, but ]
can't help it. Don't leave me. shall
never see you again if you do"
Her distress, her unbounded love, APP
pealed to him powerfully. His resolu-
ton was severely shaken. Nothing but
the sailors ingrained honor and hab-
itual self-discipline held him back as
he said:
For heavens sake, Thankful, don't
tempt me away from duty. | leave you
only because must; but the time will
be short. All our arrangements are for
short voyage; expect me back by the
next new year. / shall hasten every
thing for your sake"
She went to a sleepless bed that
night. In the morning her fathers
glass showed her the "Chevalier
far out at sea. For many days she
went about heavy-hearted. Her mother
watched and pitied her, and her own
heart bled afresh.
But youth is the season of hope and
love is its turn; and as the months of
that spring and summer went by the
girl felt more and more as though she
were only enduring a brief probation to
lifelong happiness. News had reached
her of the Chevalier" and her beloved.
First came a letter from Rio full of love
and promise; then an incoming whaler
reported speaking the Chevalier" in
the far South Atlantic, and that all on
board were well; and then letter from
Lima. All was well, time was flying;
! the promised time for the reunion was
approaching.
There is rarely, yet sometimes, a
New England autumn when the mellow
Indian summer is prolonged from No
vember far into December, and the
year fades away in days of yelled sun
shine, when nature seems in dream
and winter is held back by some strange
spell. 1t was so this year. Down to
the first day of January there was
neither snow nor frost; a silvery mist
sat upon the sea; the days were like
May days, but with a softened tenn
pered sun; the nights were balmy and
glorious. AS Thankful and her mother
sat outside the cottage they could see
the light from the town and the bay.
The sounds of laughter and talking
came up to them; everything seemed
under spell.
So it was on that New Years eve.
They sat there late talking of the dead
of the absent-hardly daring to talk of
the future. The night was bright and
starlight; everything was visible, yet
indistinct. At that place and time no.
body had been abroad for an hour. All
were at home keeping New Years
eve. Just then Thankful directed her
mothers attention to figure advancing
slowly up the slope toward the cottage.
Where?" asked Mrs. Benson. u
don't see it,"
Why, there" said Thankful, with
outstretched finger. It's man. He's
coming this way. He-he looks like
Jack"
She started up and advanced to meet
him. Mrs. Benson strained her eyes
but could see nothing like a human
figure. She saw Thankful advance q
few PAGES, stretch out her arms as if tC
embrace some one, and then fall sense.
less to the ground.
When Mrs. Benson carried her in
and revived her she started up and
cried for Jack.
My dear child, be calm" said the
mother. /" He is not here. He has
not been here"
" Yes, yes!-he wasl | saw him
almost touched him. He came close
up to me, and then he disappeared and
| could not see him."
The mother looked at her with grief
nd awe.
Dear Thankful" she said, with
deep soemnity, be strong; cast youl
burden on the Lord, and bear youi
grief as / have borne mine. You have
not seen John Sturdy; you have seen his
double. You will never see him again.
For the next year their lives went on
with that sense of chastened sorrow
that possesses those whose only hope in
this world is reft away. Mother and
daughter drew closer together in theil
companionship of bereavement. Life
for them was all in the past; theil
present comfort was merely that OF
ministering angels to the sick and
afflicted, and thus to learn the luxury
of doing good"
The only news that had been received
from the " Chevalier was darkly con-
firmatory of the vision that Thankful
had seen. One of the boats had beer
found floating in the South Pacific
empty and oarless; a ship wrapped in
: fire from stem to stern had been sighted
: afar off in those waters, where help
could not be extended nor inquiry made
They lived on during that year, ant
sorrow grew old and was still as dark as
: ever. Their neighbors condoled witt
them and hoped that the time would
come when grief would be Gained, ant
} that life might yet have some pleasure
: for these afflicted ones. Would tina
} time ever come to Thankful? Surely
, not at such time as this, when the
, new year was again at hand. 1t could
bring no hope nor promise to her; bu
| the time, as long as she should live
: must be in hermind associated with his
last words to her: Expect me back by
the next new year. | shall hastei
, everything for your sake"
1t was a very different New Year.
, eve from the last. The harbor wa,
/ locked in ice; snow covered the
r ground; the air was singing with frost
A clear sound of bells from the town
| as the new year was gleefully rung in
: came up to them as they sat by thei